User interface menus often include menu items that use additional user input. For example, a user interface menu, such as one typically labeled “File,” often includes a “Save As . . . ” menu item, which uses a user to enter a filename. Other examples of menu items that use additional user input include “Open . . . ,” “Print . . . ,” “Find . . . ,” and “Replace . . . . ” The ellipses in a menu item typically signify that additional user input is used.
Conventionally techniques for gathering additional user input typically involve one or more “popup” windows or displays that disengage from an initiating user interface menu. For example, when a user selects a “Save As . . . ” menu item from a menu, the menu typically disappears. Then, a window pops up for the user to (1) enter a filename and (2) either confirms the user's action (e.g., clicking on a “Save” button to confirm saving a file) or cancels the user's action (e.g., clicking on a “Cancel” button). In some situations, such as selecting a “Print . . . ” menu item to print a file, a second, third, and more windows may appear or “pop up” to receive additional user input (e.g., for specifying printer properties or customizing document formatting). However, there are problems associated with conventional techniques.
In some conventional techniques, a new popup window typically disrupts the user experience by visually interrupting a user's attention and mentally interrupting user focus on a given task. Conventional popup windows demand user interaction or intervention (e.g., clicking on one or more buttons in a popup window to close it) before allowing a user to return to the task at hand or to interact with previously popped up windows. For example, if providing additional user input to a menu item results in several popup windows appearing in succession, a user must close all displayed popup windows before being able to return to an application user interface. Further, popup windows use up more space on a display screen than a user interface menu. Conventional displays become visually “cluttered” with popup windows.
Another problem with conventional techniques is the denial of the ability to access other menu items when a popup window appears. For example, a menu of font sizes typically includes options for selecting font sizes and an “Other Size . . . ” menu item for a user to manually input a numerical value to specify a font size not appearing in the menu. However, when conventional solutions present a popup window to enter a font size, the font size menu typically disappears, preventing the selection of other items or options, limiting or altogether eliminating further user input.
Thus, a solution for providing user input without leaving the context of a given application without the limitations of conventional techniques is needed.